James Island
The “Enchanted Islands” is a name given to a group of oceanic islands located on the equator, also known as the Galápagos. And, oh boy, they are enchanted! Today we started very early to take advantage of the day and were rewarded by equatorial sunrays through the clouds as we set foot on Bartolome Island. We were soon mesmerised by the beauty of its striking volcanic cones and geological features, the breeze, the salty aroma, silence, color, ocean. Our guests were eager to absorb the experience and imagine the beginnings of a volcanic island, which are reflected in every single inch of Bartolome, often referred to as an “open book of geology.” We climbed to the summit of the cone, about 350 feet, and were privileged to admire spectacular views - little did we know that this was just the forerunner to an amazing event…
No sooner had some of us landed on one of Bartolome’s golden beaches, ready to start with our water activities, than we heard our expedition team excitedly scream: “whale, whales…!” Immediately our Zodiacs returned to the beach and, snorkel gear in hand, off we went to search for the cetaceans. Once on site, emotions ran wild as we took in an amazing sight: hundreds of small melon-headed whales surrounded us wherever we looked! The adorable little whales were breaching, spy-hopping, lob-tailing, bow riding and then just bobbing at surface replenishing their air supplies before diving back into the depths. It was incredible to view them from the Zodiacs, so close to us, but we were to get closer yet. “Snorkelers, are you ready?” cried out our expedition leader, and while adrenaline pumped through our systems, we geared up and prepared to leap in…
Immersed within the coolness and extreme crystal visibility of the Pacific Ocean, all our senses became magnified as we saw dozens of graceful shapes looming up at us from the deep blue and gliding slowly past, while our ears became filled with both the sounds of our pumping hearts and the melodious high-pitched sounds emitted by the whales themselves. Hundreds of them: males, females and pups, all interacting with each other and us, all we could see and hear – a truly “over-whale-ming” experience! These are the Enchanted Islands.
Back on board, our guests shared and compared their experiences, as it was a first for most of us to swim among whales; possibly a once in a lifetime experience. However, the adventure is not over yet: as we continue on to our next expedition, we realize this is just the beginning.
The “Enchanted Islands” is a name given to a group of oceanic islands located on the equator, also known as the Galápagos. And, oh boy, they are enchanted! Today we started very early to take advantage of the day and were rewarded by equatorial sunrays through the clouds as we set foot on Bartolome Island. We were soon mesmerised by the beauty of its striking volcanic cones and geological features, the breeze, the salty aroma, silence, color, ocean. Our guests were eager to absorb the experience and imagine the beginnings of a volcanic island, which are reflected in every single inch of Bartolome, often referred to as an “open book of geology.” We climbed to the summit of the cone, about 350 feet, and were privileged to admire spectacular views - little did we know that this was just the forerunner to an amazing event…
No sooner had some of us landed on one of Bartolome’s golden beaches, ready to start with our water activities, than we heard our expedition team excitedly scream: “whale, whales…!” Immediately our Zodiacs returned to the beach and, snorkel gear in hand, off we went to search for the cetaceans. Once on site, emotions ran wild as we took in an amazing sight: hundreds of small melon-headed whales surrounded us wherever we looked! The adorable little whales were breaching, spy-hopping, lob-tailing, bow riding and then just bobbing at surface replenishing their air supplies before diving back into the depths. It was incredible to view them from the Zodiacs, so close to us, but we were to get closer yet. “Snorkelers, are you ready?” cried out our expedition leader, and while adrenaline pumped through our systems, we geared up and prepared to leap in…
Immersed within the coolness and extreme crystal visibility of the Pacific Ocean, all our senses became magnified as we saw dozens of graceful shapes looming up at us from the deep blue and gliding slowly past, while our ears became filled with both the sounds of our pumping hearts and the melodious high-pitched sounds emitted by the whales themselves. Hundreds of them: males, females and pups, all interacting with each other and us, all we could see and hear – a truly “over-whale-ming” experience! These are the Enchanted Islands.
Back on board, our guests shared and compared their experiences, as it was a first for most of us to swim among whales; possibly a once in a lifetime experience. However, the adventure is not over yet: as we continue on to our next expedition, we realize this is just the beginning.
